


dance, magic, dance

by mutantish



Series: you'll find someone true (down in the underground) [1]
Category: Bandom
Genre: Basically, Labyrinth References, M/M, gay domesticity with perfect lindsey being a big part of their family, i say refernces it's barely anything, look it'll be explained, only mentions of the other kids and pete, this is self indulgent as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-09
Updated: 2015-01-09
Packaged: 2018-03-06 21:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3149234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutantish/pseuds/mutantish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Movie night,” Lindsey says, and he wonders if this is pre-planned, if he’d missed this discussion when in a total world of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dance, magic, dance

**Author's Note:**

> so this is. indulgent as hell and hahah [icona pop voice] i dont care i love it. first part in a series hopefully!
> 
> present for kat - more to come with this.

Gerard loves his family, okay.

They like to spring surprises on him sometimes. Or maybe they're not even surprises, he's just zoned out during their discussion of it. He has no idea how or when the idea came up, but before he even knows it, there’s a movie night at his house and everyone seems to be invited. And he’s the last one to know anything about it.

He has nothing to do with its planning or organising, absolutely nothing, so he just goes along with it when Lindsey mentions it to him one night. He’s sat in his studio room, bent over his tablet with a particularly determined look on his face as he sketches out the front of a new album cover, when she knocks lightly before opening the door. As she sticks her head around the door, Bandit peeks around her legs then skids into the room in her socks, grinning at him. He looks up, rubbing at his eye with the back of his hand tiredly, and grins back at her. The whole attic-is-a-Gerard-only-space rule that they made goes out the window when it comes to his kids. And his family. In fact, he’s not really sure why the rule even exists, because nobody listens to it anyway.

“Movie night,” Lindsey says, and he stares at her face, the tiny flecks of silver paint that are splattered across her cheeks catching the light, and he wonders if this is pre-planned, if he’d missed this discussion when in a total world of his own. He cocks his head to the side curiously. “You gonna come watch? Frank’s idea, mentioned it this morning over breakfast. He’s just put the twins and Miles to bed.”

He thinks about it for less than probably even a second, and then nods, letting out an affirmative noise. He stands up, holding his arms out to Bandit who runs straight at him and jumps into his open arms like a squirrel going at a tree. He’s been working on his latest piece pretty much  _non-stop_  all week anyway, so it’s time he had a night off with his family. Lindsey, the wonderful human being, doesn't wait at the door as he saves his project and shuts down the tablet, so he lets Bandit climb up onto his back and she clings to him as they walk down the stairs together.

“How was school?” He gently  squeezes the calves of his six year old daughter, her dark brown curls bouncing as he walks with her, arms around the top of his head and legs around his neck. Bandit giggles loudly and he does it again.

She makes a noise, a noise that could be described as the most contemplative a six year old can get, before deciding on, “Good! Joey gave me a dinosaur at lunch, and I made friends.”

“Yeah? Lots of them?”

“Yeah, Daddy, look, this many,” she sticks her hand in front of his face and waves it wildly, and he has to grip tighter onto her leg to stop her from slipping from his shoulders. His happy little grin stays though. Gerard sometimes feels like he doesn't tell people often enough, but he really is really proud of all of his kids. All four of them are wonderful, even and Gerard would never change them for the world.

Even if they do like to push it when they can. “Careful, B, what did we say about holding on?” God, he can’t wait for teenage years, it’s going to be so much fun. No sarcasm at all, he’s going to have the best time when his and Frank’s kids grow up to be the little rebels he can see coming. Frank’s already talked about how he can see the twins being the hardest of the bunch.

“Oops,” Bandit mumbles and clings onto him again, relooping her arms around his neck and leaning her head down and laughing, giggling when her chin bumps the crown of his head. They get to the living room where Lindsey and Frank poking and exchanging glances as they browse through their vast collection of DVDs of all genres, and she wriggles from atop her perch on his shoulders. “Down,”

“B,” he says with a stern edge to his voice, but it’s not enough to be realistic. She sighs dramatically, and Gerard knows she gets that from Frank, can tell by the little upturn in Frank’s lips as he glances over to them.

“Down,  _please_?”

“That’s better.” Gerard laughs and carefully swings her down from his shoulders, holding onto her tight until her feet hit the floor. He lets go of her, and she runs straight for the sofa, climbing up onto it. The door goes, bell ringing loudly, an echo hitting the stone floor of their hallway. Gerard turns to answer the door, but pauses for a second to snatch a DVD off the shelf and push it into Frank’s hands as he passes by. “That one,” he calls out as he goes towards the front door.

His laughter follows him all the way down the hall. “She’s not too young for this?”

“Hell no, we owe it to her as her parents, Mikey was her age when we first started watching it!”

He answers the door with a smile on his face, a smile that just brightens when he sees who’s on the other side of it. It’s Mikey. “Speak of the devil!”

He hasn’t seen Mikey for a couple of weeks, he’s been doing Things with a capital T with his new band and getting his shit together with Pete, and they just haven’t been able to spare the time. Since the end of My Chemical Romance, Mikey’s found his own way, and Gerard’s never been prouder of his younger brother. He remembers Mikey when they first started out, he remembers Mikey during the recording of The Black Parade, and almost bursts with pride over how far he’s come, how much he’s overcome. He remembers the days where he would have to coax Mikey into doing anything, and the days where Mikey was a mess. And he’s none of those things now and it makes Gerard a little bit teary eyed.

Mikey looks up and grins at him, before pulling him into a tight hug. They cling to each other for a minute or two on the doorstep before pulling away, when Gerard goes to ruffle Mikey’s hair with a smirk, and Mikey catches a hold of his wrist, twisting it away. He laughs, holding his hands up in surrender and Mikey’s face is triumphant.

“Come in, come in, we’re gonna have a movie night.”

“I know, Frank called me. Pete couldn’t come, he’s got a band meeting – and he’s taken Bronx and Saint - says he wish he could be here, though. One day we’ll have to get our kids and your kids all into one household and let them loose.”

“Yeah? That sounds awesome and deadly, why haven’t we done that yet?”

“Not happening! I am assuming control of that situation _right now_ , and shutting it down.” Lindsey calls out as they walk into the passageway. Gerard can hear Frank snickering to himself. “I know you couples like the idea of mutual domesticity, but Bronx and Bandit are going to take over the world one day; I’d like to delay that as long as possible, please. They would be deadly together. Now, come in here so we can get started with this damn movie!”

“Gonna get B to watch Labyrinth.” Gerard murmurs to Mikey.

“Really?” Mikey grins, his eyes lightening up as he remembers, the same way Gerard’s do. “God, I remember when we used to watch that. All the time, -”

“Every other weekend. I know. That film got me through a lot of shit, felt right to introduce her to it now.”

“Do you remember that time, we, four straight –“

Mikey kicks off his shoes at the door to the living room and hangs up his jacket as Gerard shuts the front door behind him, his face wide as he grins up at his younger brother.

“Four straight days, yeah, God, Mom was –“

“ _So_ pissed off! Four straight days, and _no_ school work done.”

“None at all, she was furious, but –“

“Nothing beats a Bowie marathon, even if it is the one movie.”

“Oi, when you’re done doing that creepy finishing each other's sentences thing that you deny that you do, we’re waiting!” Frank calls out with a laugh, and Mikey shoots Gerard a smile and he feels it like the sun.

They traipse into the living room, where Bandit is still sat on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling and kicking her legs like she’s on a bicycle. Gerard can see she’s lost in her own world, her mouth moving as she mumbles words to herself. She looks up when they sit down, scrambling and throwing herself in Mikey’s direction.

“Uncle Mikey!” she squeals.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed, little one? It’s way past your bed time.” He laughs as she clings onto his legs, arms hooked around his knees as she grins up at him mischievously.

“No! It’s my late night.” Frank smirks over at Gerard, who rolls his eyes and pokes him in the side. They agreed that once a fortnight, Bandit would get to stay up later than her bed time to do stuff with them, without the hassle of the twins or Miles. Gerard wasn’t so sure, but Frank insisted.

Bandit launches herself at Mikey and he catches her expertly, sitting down on the arm chair, “I made this many friends at school today.” She shows him on her hand, and Mikey grins as he hugs her to his chest, him counting on her fingers with her as she giggles. Gerard smiles at them from where he’s now sat.

Mikey’s always been great with Bandit, and she always manages to put a smile on his face, no matter what the weather or the day. He’s the same with Bronx and Saint, like a father to them already. Pete’s told him how much Bronx adores Mikey. Gerard counts his lucky stars every day that he has such a wide family and a family so great with children.

“Hey, Bumblebee, come sit,” Frank calls out, sliding down onto the sofa beside Gerard, his feet tucked up underneath Gerard’s leg. Bandit slides off Mikey, patting his knee as she goes, and skips over to their sofa, clambering over them and into the space behind the back of Frank’s tucked up legs. They fit together like little jigsaw pieces in a well made puzzle, and Gerard lets out a happy noise as Frank wriggles his toes under his leg.

They share a smile, and for a moment, Gerard sees nothing but his family.

It’s taken them years to get here, where they are today. It took over a decade and a million and one songs with not-so-hidden messages for Mikey and Pete to sort their shit out and get it together, but they’re good together now, they get through their issues and they work. Frank was there through the band and Gerard had been so worried he wouldn’t be when it was all over, but he stayed and Gerard’s never been happier. They had to take their time to get through it, but they’re good now.

The title screen for the DVD pops up and the moment is shattered, but it’s okay.

It’s all okay; Gerard thinks later when he dances Bandit around their living room to Magic Dance. It’s all okay, when Bandit frowns and blows a raspberry at the screen as Sarah gets trapped in the Oubliette, when she hides her face in Frank’s arm at the Bog of Eternal Stench. It’s all okay, he thinks, when he presses a kiss behind Frank’s ear, whispering the lyrics to Within You, when they dance in a group of four with a laughing Mikey and Lindsey to Underground and the end credits, Bandit flat out sleeping on the sofa.

It’s all okay, and that’s okay.


End file.
